1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of bed liners for pick-up trucks.
2. Prior Art
In recent years pick-up trucks of various sizes and configurations have been used in increasing numbers for individual and family vehicles, or at least in part as individual and family vehicles, because of their convenience and usefulness in towing boats and trailers, in carrying campers, motorcycles and other recreational vehicles, and because of their overall utility and general appeal. As a result, there is an increasing desired among pick-up truck owners to keep the vehicle in good condition and to add accessories which will distinguish the same from the average pick-up truck. One accessory which has found increasing popularity is the truck bed liner which can enhance the appearance of the truck bed and which will provide protection thereto against dents, chipped paint, rusting, etc. These truck bed liners are generally vacuum formed from an appropriate relatively tough plastic to fit within and be fastened to the truck bed so that at least major contact between articles being carried is between the article and the truck bed liner, rather than between the article and the truck bed itself.
Truck bed liners are generally commercially available in either of two forms. One form of truck bed liner, referred to as a railer, defines a generally rectangular box-like carrying platform interrupted by the wheel wells of the truck bed, with the side walls of the railer extending upward over the side rails of the truck bed and flairing outward thereover. As such, a railer gives the truck bed a more finished appearance while at the same time providing protection not only for the bottom and side walls of the truck bed, but also providing protection for the top of the rails of the truck bed. Examples of such railers may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,814,473, 4,161,335, 4,181,349, and 4,336,963.
While railers are both practical and aesthetically pleasing, in certain applications they are not preferred. In particular, people who use their pick-up trucks for carrying campers in general do not want the camper resting on the outward extending flanges covering the rails of the truck bed. Accordingly, while railers probably provide the best truck bed protection for many applications and at the same time are probably most aesthetically pleasing, occasional use of the pick-up truck to carry a camper, as is reasonably common, will usually preclude the sale of a railer to the truck owner.
Another type of truck bed liner, referred to simply as a liner, consists of a member formed with wheel well recesses to lie against the bottom and front wall of the truck bed, and curving outward at the sides thereof to approximately conform to the side walls of the truck bed, terminating at an elevation below the rails thereof and with a separation so as to extend well under the rails. As such, the liner will protect the bottom and side walls of the truck bed when carrying cargo such as sand or gravel, but will not provide significant protection for the rails thereof when carrying many other types of cargo. Also, liners usually are not as aesthetically pleasing as railers because of their lack of a well defined geometric cargo carrying platform shape of railers. They are however, suitable for use with campers, as they do not cover the rails of the truck bed.
It is therefor one of the objects of the present invention to provide a truck bed liner having most of the advantages of conventional railers, but which can be used in applications not compatible with a truck bed liner extending over the rails of the vehicle.